I noticed a red stain on the diaper I put under the velvet-drive transmission. Sure enough, the dip-stick shows low fluid. I pulled the unit out and sent it in to a local shop. They have it on a bench. First inspection shows a leaky seal on the pump. There is no evidence of damage to the clutches or other damage. I think I caught it in time. I had the thing rebuilt about 5 years ago (approx 800 hrs). Replacement of the seals will run about $200. If I had them tear the unit down, inspect, and reassemble, its about $400 plus parts.

Some of you with older engines that leak (i.e. W60) may miss a small leak from the transmission. You might check the fluid level every once in a while for safety.

Removal of the unit is straightforward. Disconnect the jack-shaft and slide it out of the way. If there isn’t enough play to slide it out, you may have to unbolt the v-drive and slide it back (oh no! a realignment would be needed). I didn’t have to do this. Disconnect the oil hoses to the heat-exchanger, shift cable and starter interlock wire.

Remove the mounting screws. The bottom nuts on the transmission attach to studs which should be left in place. These hold the transmission while its being disconnected and make reconnecting easy. Don’t bend them however! Attach a couple of machine screws to the side of the transmission and fashion a sling for lifting. Put a brace across the companion-way and rig block-and-tackle to take the weight of the transmission as you slide it forward, lift and swing out of the bilge.

The transmission is heavy and should be considered a two-man (or one man, one woman) lift. I can lift it alone, but climbing the ladder with it is out of the question.

While I could probably learn enough about the transmission to rebuild it myself, its not an expensive job if you catch it before it self-destructs.

When re-installing it, consider replacing the mounting hardware with stainless. A fresh coat of paint won’t hurt either. Don’t paint the ID plate.

Regards
Rich
BlackSheep #47

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